Chamomile
by YoBeezy
Summary: He was as simple and sweet as chamomile tea. AU.
1. i

A/N: This is gonna be a four part mini story. For those of you who know how awful I am at updating my stories, you'll be glad to know I finished this one completely before posting. Pls enjoy this wholesome bit of baby fluff.

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i.

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Gaara was no stranger to loneliness. He had undergone quite an arduous time getting to the point of indifference he was now at. This state of quiet acceptance had urged him into maturity. Looking back on how far he had come felt good, like an accomplishment worth noting, even if he had no one to share it with.

By the age of nine he had stopped pining for companionship and was coming around to the idea that not everyone was going to have it so good. By thirteen, his impassivity had become this bridge to outrage, further provoked by teenage hormones and a hostile home life. No longer the timid child he once was, he became cold and unstable. Around sixteen he began to question himself and by seventeen he found a sense of calm that brought him back to solid ground. Now, nineteen years old and starting his sophomore year of college, he looked towards the future with a bit of optimism.

His freshman year of college had been less than enjoyable. Prior to getting approved for the transfer program, he attended the same university his brother and sister were enrolled in. For as far back as Gaara could remember, his siblings had little interest in him. It was as if all the familial love they had was reserved solely for each other, leaving none to spare for their smallest brother. It had bred a terrifying resentment that finally showed itself when Gaara entered his teens. Following a violent incident between Gaara and his older brother Kankuro, his siblings had retreated both physically and emotionally from him. Things were never quite the same after that. Though they were pleasant to each other now, every exchange dripped with insincere formalities. No one enjoyed it.

Gaara applied for the transfer program because he saw an opportunity to start over. It was a new place where no one knew who he was, where no one held that natural aversion every other person in his village seemed to have for him. For once he was choosing his own path to follow. His father, leader of Suna, saw to it that Gaara had his own one-bedroom apartment rather than the shared dormitories that most transfer students were assigned. His father wasn't a good parent by any means, but he was grateful for the gesture. For as much as Gaara looked forward to the change in scenery, even he had limits to how far his comfort zone could be encroached upon.

The place he rented was comfortably small. Gaara didn't have many belongings of his own to bring, but the place was furnished upon arrival with any essentials he might need. All he had to contribute was a minimalist wardrobe, a few select books, and a toothbrush that he had bought at the train station after realizing he'd forgotten the one he had intended to bring in the first place. Some might complain that it was boring but Gaara found the plainness of it all comforting. He had very few attachments to the material world and that in of itself was freeing.

He arrived in Konoha three days before his classes were due to start. He took this time to familiarize himself with the village and the people within it. The differences between his home and this new place were startling and evident upon his very first steps off the train. He was most impressed by the huge varieties of color that made up the Konoha landscape, being used to shades of brown and red, being in a place with such rich vegetation was refreshing. The change in season was more intense than it was back home however. He pulled the scarf around his neck up over the bridge of his nose and let the warmth of his own breath bring some color back into his face. After unpacking at the apartment, Gaara put a heavier coat on and walked to the market for a few groceries

With his basket hanging from one arm, Gaara ran his finger across a shelf of instant soups as he deliberated on his purchase. "Can't go wrong with the Soba brand," a husky voice said from beside him. Startling Gaara from his bubble of existence, he looked with large, curious eyes at the boy next to him. He might have been a little taller than Gaara but looked as if he were Gaara's age. He had unkempt blonde hair and sun-kissed skin leftover from a summer spent outside. The boy grabbed three packages of the same instant soup he'd suggested and then met Gaara's gaze. He looked taken aback to see such an intense stare coming from a stranger. Gaara, realizing his social graces were slipping, quickly looked back to the shelf.

"Oh, thank you." He said quietly as he too grabbed a box and placed it in his basket. The blonde gave a satisfied nod with a cool smile before turning to continue his shopping. Gaara kept his head forward and down until he could see the boy turn the corner in his periphery. Shyly, Gaara crept down the aisle and peered around the corner. He spotted the blonde standing in line at the register. Gaara looked down at his basket, it was full of everything he needed but he felt nervous at the idea of standing in line behind the blonde. This is insignificant; he thought tiredly, there was nothing to be nervous about. He pulled his scarf up over his mouth and with deliberation, strode over to the line.

At first the blonde didn't notice Gaara's presence, which had shrunken considerably as he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the next, but when he did he gave a half-turn and smiled. "Good choice," he said in a tone that lacked any sort of insecurity.

"I'm sorry?" Gaara asked with wide eyes, caught off guard by the very thing he dreaded from the start. Was it normal to talk to strangers in the store? He was suddenly aware of how awkward he was being. The blonde pointed to the soup in his basket and Gaara shut his eyes knowingly, "oh, the soup." He wasn't quite sure what else he could say so he didn't say anything. This didn't deter the blonde however.

"I'm Naruto, never seen you around here before." He extended a hand and Gaara looked at it stiffly. Even more awkward than before, Gaara shifted his basket to free one of his hands and softly took the other's in his own. Naruto grinned and shook his hand with a sturdy, firm grip. In comparison, Gaara's hand must have felt like a child's, limp and unsure.

"Gaara," he introduced himself. "I'm in the exchange program at the university, from Suna." The blonde's face lit up and he did a full turn so he could face the redhead completely.

"Maybe we'll have some classes together! This is my second year, kind of bummed summer ended so quickly but what can you do, you know?" He grinned and Gaara was left somewhat speechless. He wasn't used to such casual conversation, out of a million responses he could have had, not a single one reached his tongue.

"Err," he said casting his eyes towards the rest of the line ahead of them. He wished they'd move a little faster. "It's my second year as well," he finished lamely, if not just to get something out there. Luckily, the blonde seemed entirely unfazed by Gaara's reluctance to make conversation. The line took a small step forward; it was almost Naruto's turn.

"It's not so bad out here, I mean, I've lived here my whole life so I don't really have much to compare it to, but there's a lot to do and none of it ever really gets boring. If you ever need someone to show you around, just let me know, I know all of the good places to eat and I could introduce you to some of the other guys too." Gaara swallowed hard. That comfort zone of his was only moments away from shattering; he had to keep it together.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, though with apparent nervousness. To his relief, the cashier called on Naruto to put his items on the table in a tone that sounded short at Naruto's lack of attention. The blonde turned around, startled. He waved his hand around and apologized quietly several times. Eagar to get through the line, the cashier rang Naruto up quickly and ushered him out, moving onto Gaara. The blonde grabbed his bag and waved at Gaara.

"Anyways, I'll see you around!" He called out at a volume a little much for indoors. Gaara timidly waved back as the blonde retreated out the door and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He paid for his items and pulled his scarf back over his nose as he walked out into the cool midday air. Gaara felt an uneasiness bearing down upon him. It seemed like for any other person, socializing and making friends wouldn't be too hard of a task. But for him it was different, and he worried he would lose any chances at doing so before he got a chance to get good at it. On the other hand, after that brief spell of contact with Naruto, Gaara had to wonder if he really wanted it in the first place. He'd grown so accustomed to spending time alone that time suddenly spent with other people felt foreign and like a waste of time and energy.

Gaara unlocked the door to his empty apartment and promptly locked it again behind him. He stood for a moment and just listened, the resounding silence of the small space brought him a sense of comfort he needed. Funnily enough, it felt like home.

He looked out of his bedroom window as he wrapped the thick scarf around his neck. The first day of class was marked with dark clouds and the distant rumble over the valley of a possible storm heading their way. He hadn't brought an umbrella. It hadn't even occurred to him that he might find himself stuck in a storm; rain wasn't something he often saw in Suna. He was puzzled by the August weather, the second day in the village gave him high temperatures and a lot of sun, the third day was warm but windy, and now this. Was it all going to be so unpredictable? He looked down at his watch and curtly turned, grabbing his book bag from the back of his bedroom door as he strolled out.

Gaara didn't care much for impressing other people. He dressed simply, slim black pants and a thin grey sweater, topped with a heavy utility coat that hung past his hips. The only splash of color on him was his shock of hair, standing out brightly in the gloomy light of day. If anything, Gaara was unabashedly himself, it never occurred to him to be anything else. Because of this, he dressed the way he wanted, left his hair unruly, didn't make much eye contact and hardly spoke a word unless it felt necessary. He'd had a lot of time to think about what it would take for someone like him to make friends and he'd come down to a surprisingly simple answer. The fact of the matter was, he didn't want to make friends if he couldn't be himself. It might have been the collective results of his life experiences that made him such a reserved person, but it was undeniable that reserved was just the type of person he now was. He had no desire to find himself in awkward, forced conversations and because of that, he didn't plan on finding himself in one again. If this meant that he'd spend the next year alone, so be it.

A light sprinkling started as he approached the school. The redhead frowned and tucked his chin into his scarf, picking up his pace as if he were going to out move the storm. The university was bigger than the one he'd attended in Suna. From his pocket he pulled a map of the school and scanned the page for his first class. Second floor, room 205-b. The hallways bustled with other students, some walking alone, some hanging back to chat to groups of others. It was nice to feel like such an unimportant presence. It didn't take him long to find his class, as it was he entered the room and found himself to be the first one there. He took the seat at the back of the classroom, near the window. Watching the rain gently fall across the glass, he didn't look over as voices trailed in and the class steadily began to fill. By the time class started, the rain had picked up and was running rivers down the windowpane. A flash of yellow in the courtyard caught his eye and he watched in amused silence as Naruto came bolting from the neighboring walkway, a textbook held over his head to protect himself from the rain. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth but before it could pull into completion, the instructor began to speak.

He began with attendance, slowly crawling through the list of names before him. When he came to Gaara's name, the redhead at the back of the class said, "here" quietly. He hadn't expected nearly everyone to shift in their seats to look over at him.

"You must be our newest exchange student," the instructor said. Gaara refused to look anyone else in the eye but the man at the front, giving a short nod in response. "Well, welcome. If you have any questions-" his words were suddenly derailed by the classroom door being flung open from the outside. Entering with labored breathing was Naruto, he looked unkempt and damp, and he waved his hand with the textbook still in it around.

"I'm here, I'm here," he said breathlessly. He shook out his wet hair and grinned as the girl next to him complained.

"Naruto, nice to see you could make it. You're late."

"Mr. Hatake, I can explain. See I was-" The instructor lifted a hand to silence him, effectively bringing Naruto's mouth to a stop.

"Just have a seat and don't make this a regular occurrence. We were just introducing our newest transfer, Gaara, to the class." Gaara shrunk down slightly in his seat, his eyes wide and mouth small and silent. Naruto whipped his head towards the back of the class and grinned, teeth bared. He gave an excited wave from where he sat, two rows over and three chairs up. Gaara returned the gesture with much less enthusiasm. "Ah, I see, you two have already met then. Well in that case, Naruto, be a good host and make sure Gaara knows where to go, will you?"

The blonde sat back and crossed his arms, looking smug as if he'd been honored with a very important job. "No problem," he said, brimming with confidence. Gaara felt his mouth begin to frown.

It wasn't that he didn't like Naruto, more so it was that his energy was electric, far more concentrated than anything else Gaara had ever come into contact with. He didn't quite know how to handle it yet and he had hoped he wouldn't have to for a little while longer. It seemed that the unpredictability of the village was back at it, if this was going to keep up, Gaara would be going home with whiplash. The class moved on slowly and Gaara was almost disappointed to discover that the Suna education was ahead of the Konoha curriculum by a semester or so. Because of this, he let himself drift into his silent headspace, eyes transfixed on the wet world just outside the window. When the class was up, Gaara purposefully gathered his things at a slow pace, hoping Naruto would have forgotten about the instructor's direction. As it was, he hadn't.

Naruto approached Gaara's desk with an unanticipated warmth. "Good to see you again," he said at an appropriate volume this time. But again, Gaara found himself stumbling over his thoughts.

"You too," he didn't necessarily mean it, but it was the first thing that came to mind when he thought about what any regular person might say. "H-how are you?" Dammit. His pale cheeks flushed slightly as he realized he was doing exactly what he told himself he wouldn't, and badly too.

"Better now that I'm not stuck in the rain," he gave a husky laugh. Gaara marveled at him for a moment, how he remained so incredibly oblivious to Gaara's discomfort was almost…comforting. "Is your next class math too?" Gaara gave a quiet nod and Naruto beamed. "Alright! I guess we'll probably have a lot of the sophomore classes together. I hope you're good at it because I could really use some help with-"

"Come on, dobe, we're gonna be late." A steely voice said from the doorway. Both Gaara and Naruto turned towards the voice, which belonged to a serious looking boy with dark hair that framed his elegant face. Besides him stood a smaller girl with pink shoulder length hair, looking happily over at Naruto. _These must be his friends,_ Gaara thought.

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto waved his hand at them and turned back to Gaara. "We can all walk together since we're all goin' to the same class." Gaara wanted anything but that. It was one thing to follow Naruto around like a lost dog, it was an entirely different thing to lurk around his entire group of friends.

"I'll be fine, I do have a map. Please, don't wait for me. I wanted to speak to the instructor anyway…" Gaara looked around to find it was only him and Naruto in the classroom, the instructor having left some time ago. He felt a twitch of a nerve go off, so much for that.

"Don't you worry about a thing, Gaara. We can probably answer any question you've got." As Gaara straightened himself out, resigning himself to the inescapable fate before him, Naruto decided to take it one step further. He threw his arm around Gaara's shoulder and led him towards the two in the doorway. He could feel his face growing hot and all he could do to greet Naruto's friends was stare wide-eyed and helpless as he tried to remember how to say hello.


	2. ii

ii.

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By the time they reached the doorway, Gaara had ground out an audibly uncomfortable "hello." The pink-haired girl, affectionately referred to as Sakura by Naruto, smiled kindly and returned the salutation. The other, however, looked bored and only gave a menial nod of his head. Gaara neither liked nor disliked the Uchiha, as he would come to refer to him as, but his cool demeanor certainly didn't help Gaara smother the immense discomfort he was currently feeling. He had always felt like an outsider, most of the villagers in his own village frequently made sure of that, but to be an outsider there was also to be feared. Gaara had undergone an incredible change throughout the years, his fury had nearly dissipated and his nature became so incredibly private that the villagers no longer feared him, but still they remained indifferent. Which to him was an improvement, by then avoiding him was merely muscle memory to most.

But in Konoha, where no one knew who he was or the person he used to be, he stood there looking like a fool, blushing and stumbling over his words. Embarrassed was too light a word for what he was feeling. Suddenly, the quiet disregard of his own village felt inviting. Naruto had removed his arm from Gaara's shoulder and was now walking with his hands tucked behind his head. He was rambling on about something; Gaara had stopped paying attention when the blood pounding in his ears became too loud. Luckily, because Naruto was so engrossed in his story, Gaara managed to fall back a few steps. He moved far enough to take a deep, unnoticed breath inwards, just to ground himself for the moment at least. He caught his name being spoken as he worked to smooth out his clothes Naruto had ruffled.

"What about you, Gaara?" The redhead looked at Naruto abruptly and frowned, Naruto was too good at being friendly.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't hear you." Naruto stalled so that Gaara could catch up with them. Awkwardly, Gaara touched at the hair that lay at the nape of his neck. "Could you repeat that?"

Naruto gave a light chuckle. "Geez, you talk about as much as Sasuke, huh? I asked if you had plans for after class today?" Gaara instinctively looked over to the raven-haired boy he was being compared to. The latter walked forward as if he hadn't heard a thing. Gaara shook his head very slightly.

"No, I was probably going to go back to my apartment to review the textbooks."

Sakura gave a little huff and teased, "as if Naruto has any idea what that means."

"I review my textbooks too," Naruto pouted, but quickly found the positive energy he was made up of and channeled it back. "But it's the first day guys," he said addressing the group. "What's there to review? Anyways Gaara, we were all planning to go to the karaoke bar after class, us and a few others. Since you're not doing anything, you should come with us!"

Any blood left in Gaara's face drained. _Karaoke bar?_ Gaara repeated inwardly, as if hearing it once wasn't bad enough. He swallowed nervously and looked off, thinking rapidly. He had made a fatal error in using his textbooks as an excuse. Naruto was right, there wasn't much to review at all and anything worth reviewing, Gaara had already covered his freshman year at Suna's university. Could he just say no? That karaoke was too loud and expressive for him, even though he'd never set foot anywhere near a karaoke bar, that could work, right? But mid-thought Naruto struck him once more.

"I won't take no for an answer so that settles that, Gaara, you're coming out with us tonight." He gave a cheeky smile. Gaara tried his best to rearrange his face into something resembling a smile, but at most he accomplished was a grimace. Like most of Gaara's reactions, Naruto remained completely unmoved.

The rest of the day went by far too quickly for Gaara's liking. As if the universe knew how much Gaara was dreading the evening's events, it quickened its pace just to see how Gaara would manage it this time. He drummed his fingers lightly against the desk, his jaw resting softly in his other perched hand. Of the five classes he'd had after his homeroom class, two of them were with Naruto, one of them with Sasuke, and one of them with Sakura. Unlike Naruto's natural inclination to make conversation, Sakura and Sasuke behaved quite differently. Sakura wasn't nearly as outgoing as Naruto but was friendly enough to sit beside Gaara in the single class they shared. They hardly spoke but it didn't seem to bother her, in fact it felt quite natural. The only relief Gaara felt throughout the day was during his class with Sasuke, who didn't necessarily go out of his way to sit apart from Gaara, but chose a seat based solely on where he wanted to sit. Gaara did the same, a few seats away from Sasuke. This being the only moment of privacy Gaara experienced, it felt like a breath of fresh air and helped to ease his taut muscles.

But that relief was quickly extinguished when the day came to an end and Sakura and Naruto stood outside their classroom door, chatting with each other while they waited. Sasuke walked towards them with his hands in his pockets, looking dour. "You guys ready?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"I'm going home," Sasuke said firmly. He waved a hand over his shoulder as he continued walking right past the two. Gaara watched on enviously.

"What? But you said you would come!" Naruto called out after him. Sasuke ignored him and kept going. "That bastard," Naruto muttered. "Too cool to hang out with his friends, well I see how it is, next time he wants to go do something I'll tell him the same thing."

"He'd probably enjoy that," Sakura said flatly, watching as Sasuke turned the corner. "But we're still in, right Gaara?" She turned towards the redhead with a sweet smile and Gaara, per usual, tripped over his words.

"Ah, well I-"

"Not you too!" Naruto whipped around and glared at Gaara, throwing him off course immediately. Was he angry? This was the first time he'd had a negative reaction to something Gaara said, or rather didn't say.

"I mean, if you insist…" This seemed to be good enough for him as the blonde regained his composure and slapped his hand to Gaara's back.

"That's the spirit. Now let's go, I bet the others are already there."

"Ino's bringing the new girl, have you met her? She's pretty cute Naruto," Sakura said suggestively. The blonde frowned and looked up.

"Not interested, she's not really my type." Sakura then turned to Gaara and winked.

"Well maybe Gaara's interested, I mean you're both new, you'd probably have a few things in common." Gaara sucked in his breath to mutter something dismissive before Sakura could get any ideas, but Naruto beat him to the punch.

"Nah," he drawled on. "I don't think she's Gaara's type either. Maybe you should ask Sasuke." His voice tilted with a slight mischievous inflection.

"Don't be absurd," Sakura snapped. "She's definitely not his type either." This seemed to be where the conversation ended, much to Gaara's relief. He looked over at Naruto as inconspicuously as he could. Was this what having a friend was like? Naruto didn't know much, if anything, about Gaara but that didn't stop him from speaking like he did. An unfamiliar feeling struck Gaara in the chest and instinctively he placed his hand there. Watching Naruto out of the corner of his eye, Gaara felt considerably more at ease. He almost wished it had just been the two of them, maybe then Gaara could comfortably explore this new social experience. Naruto seemed like a safe friend to have, it was no wonder he had so many of his own. For him it was just natural and despite his flaws, he drew people in with it. Gaara felt something akin to awe, so much so that he had a difficult time placing what the feeling he was having was. It could have been admiration, or respect, either way it filled Gaara with a new sense of understanding, one that told him that as long as Naruto was there he'd survive the evening.

It was something to hold onto at least.

When they approached the bar, they also came upon a rather large group of people. Naruto and Sakura greeted them with enthusiasm. After Naruto had boldly introduced Gaara to the group (and subsequently laughed at Gaara's reaction after he stuttered a weak greeting), they all moved inside together. Gaara did his best to hang back but Naruto, putting his arm back around Gaara's shoulder, fixed him up front with him. There seemed to be little point in resisting. The bar itself was bright and loud, as the other's moved to order their drinks, Gaara realized that him and another small girl were the only people under the legal drinking age. He didn't drink in the first place, but he asked for a water anyways just to have something to hold. They moved into a separate room and after ordering snacks, all got comfortable on the vinyl couch. Naruto had chosen to sit next to Gaara. He felt comfortable with that, as long as Naruto didn't insist on making Gaara go up and sing (which was out of the question, try as he might there was no way Naruto could coerce him into doing that).

Two hours in and Gaara had finally let himself lean back into the couch. There were so many people no one was focused on him, they chatted amongst each other and there were plenty of people eager to sing that there was never a moment the vacancy needed to be filled. Naruto was on his third drink but appeared to handle alcohol well, despite the flush of color on his cheeks, he acted just as he usually did. It was nearly three hours in when Gaara felt his back begin to ache. He placed a hand on Naruto's knee and leaned in to speak over the noise. "I think I'll be going home now, I'm feeling a little tired."

The blonde nodded and turned to Sakura, saying something into her ear before he stood and motioned for Gaara to follow. Confused, Gaara did as he was gestured anyways. Once they had exited the building, Naruto stretched and gave a wide yawn. "You didn't have to come all the way out here," Gaara said.

"All those drinks made me sleepy," he said, surely sounding like he was tired. "I'm ready to head home too. Besides, it's getting dark out and I don't want you getting lost or something, this place is pretty big y'know?" Gaara wanted to insist he'd be fine but felt like the words would be lost on the blonde anyways, so he sufficed with a stiff nod. Feeling like he needed to say something, he softly said thank you. They began walking in the same direction, Gaara didn't ask if this was intentional or not but he wondered for how much longer they'd be in each other's company. He was itching to be alone. "Thanks for coming with us tonight," Naruto said suddenly, he rubbed at his neck sheepishly. "I kind of forced you to go, sorry about that."

"It's fine. I'm not used to being around so many people, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be." Gaara replied honestly, he wanted to be true to what he told himself earlier, that he was going to be himself and they could either take it or leave it. It was true the night wasn't a complete disaster, but it was definitely something he wasn't too keen on trying again any time soon.

Naruto gave a soft laugh, much to Gaara's surprise. "Yeah, it might have been a little much for your first day. Next time let's just do something, the two of us, how does that sound?"

Gaara stilled, just the…two of them? Had he accidentally said something earlier when he thought he'd been thinking it, or maybe Naruto was better at reading people than he gave way. Or maybe, Gaara thought quietly, Naruto wanted the same thing he did. "I would like that," Gaara said in his low, gentle voice.

Naruto, with his rose-tinted cheeks, looked over at Gaara with a soft expression on his face. For the first time Gaara didn't feel like Naruto was there out of obligation, but because he earnestly wanted to be there. Because he wanted to know Gaara, on a deeper level than most. This thought was reinforced as they walked in a comfortable silence. For a moment Gaara hadn't thought it possible, Naruto seemed like an endless stream of consciousness. But now he was content, comfortable with Gaara in the evening glow of a sun that had only set minutes ago. Birds chattered above them and soft hum of village activity blocks away drifted over on the breeze. Gaara pulled his scarf over his nose as a particularly frigid draft overcame him.

"It's much colder here than in Suna," he said, suddenly breaking the silence. It felt like a natural move to make, he'd hardly thought about it before he spoke. And just as naturally, Naruto picked the conversation up.

"If you think this is bad, wait until winter. Last year my heater went out in the middle of December," Naruto gave a short husky laugh as he recalled the event. "The school didn't believe me when I'd had a cold for over two weeks straight. I really thought that was gonna be the end of me."

Gaara gave way to a small smile, imagining Naruto suffering the results of all his many excuses. "I'm afraid I might meet the same fate, it's getting colder every day, I'm not acclimating quick enough."

"A big, hot bowl of ramen when you start feeling bad will knock that right out," Naruto said brightly. He hummed and then looked to Gaara, his face lit up with giddy, young excitement. "What about tomorrow? Do you have any plans?"

"You mean…for dinner?" There it was again, that sensation unfolding within him. He could feel it blooming like a rose, petal after petal just falling open until completely bared. His hand again naturally gravitated to the core of it. "I can do that," he said both for Naruto and himself. They were words he needed to hear himself say to ensure he really meant it. Within his answer there was no trace of anything ingenuine.

"Great, it's a date." Naruto screwed up his face for a second and then shook his head. "Well, not like a date date, er, you know what I mean."

They continued to walk, falling in and out of silence. It wasn't until they both came to a stop at the corner of Gaara's apartment that he realized Naruto had walked him the entire way home. "I hope you're not far from here," he said, unsure if this had been a mistake or not.

"What are you talking about? I'm right over there." He threw his thumb over his shoulder towards the older building sitting on the corner.

"How funny," Gaara said, dropping his head with a smile. "So am I, right across the way." He turned and pointed at his own building. "I suppose this makes us neighbors."

Naruto looked thrilled. "Hey, we can walk to class in the morning and oh, if you ever want to study this'll be way easier than going to a café or something. Everyone else lives on the other side of town so having you so close will be-" He was interrupted by a wide yawn, one that brought tears to eyes. "-really nice." He finished. Gaara gave a small laugh that was more of a hum at the back of his throat. Likely the closest thing to a laugh he'd had in many years, the action felt strange and yet it had naturally come from him.

"Sleep well, Naruto," Gaara said, meeting Naruto's sleepy face with a well meaning shadow of a smile. The blonde returned the smile in full.

"You too, Gaara."


	3. iii

A/N: Quarantine is all about uploading ancient material I'd forgotten I finished without proofreading it first. Cheers.

* * *

iii.

Gaara stood at the corner of his building, squinting at the sun. It was early but already he could tell it was going to be a warm day. Where all the chill from yesterday had gone, he had no idea. He looked back over at Naruto's building and frowned, ordinarily, he would have started walking to class nearly ten minutes ago. Five more minutes of delay and they'd certainly be late. He ran a hand up the back of his head and sighed, as it was he was making good progress in establishing a real friendship, but Gaara was not one to be late or to slack off. He didn't care if Naruto chose to live that way, but he couldn't wait forever.

As if on cue, the blonde stumbled out of a stairwell and jogged over to where Gaara stood. The redhead looked him over, bemused at the boy's clear disregard for order. His blonde hair stuck up as if he'd just come out of the bed, his shirt wasn't pressed and from the peek of fabric showing beneath the hem of his pants, even his socks didn't match. Huffing over as if he'd run a marathon getting down there, next to Gaara's finely polished appearance, the two made quite a pair. "Oh man, I thought you were gonna leave without me," Naruto sighed as he straightened himself out.

"I nearly did," Gaara replied flatly. Naruto groaned but he seemed to understand that's just how Gaara was. "You're not much of a morning person, are you?" He asked, despite it being plainly obvious.

Naruto stretched as he walked, presumably still shaking off sleep. "If I'm doing something fun I don't really have a problem waking up," he gave a small laugh. "That and I don't know, I haven't been sleeping very well lately. That's probably got sumthin' to do with it." Gaara thought about his own sleeping difficulties then, thankful that they didn't have the same draining effect Naruto's had. Or maybe he was just used to it.

"Something bothering you?" This seemed like the appropriate thing to ask.

Naruto rubbed at his chin as he mulled the question over. "I don't think so, I don't really know what's keeping me up. Like I get in bed and I feel tired but all I end up doing is staring at the ceiling. It's pretty annoying."

"Hm, sounds like it." Gaara tried his best to sympathize. "I don't sleep very well either."

"Huh? What's got you up?"

Gaara gave a small shrug. "I've never been able to sleep well, so I'm not sure. It doesn't bother me though, I use the extra time wisely."

"You do look pretty tired," Naruto said, acknowledging the dark circles around Gaara's eyes. The redhead smiled faintly.

"Yes, but I don't feel tired. I suppose it's just something you get used to."

They spent the rest of their commute in perfect timing with one another. Naruto had launched into a story and Gaara listened attentively. While Gaara was usually the one who listened when it came to conversation, rarely did he ever listen so raptly. It was as if every word that left Naruto's mouth was something to be fascinated by, he almost wished their walk had taken a little longer.

Their dinner date sat at the forefront of Gaara's mind all day. Naruto had yet to mention anything and Gaara had been too awkward to bring it up himself. By the time his last class came to an end, Gaara was feeling uncomfortable with the entire idea. As he put his supplies back into his book bag, he could hear Naruto talking loudly as he approached the classroom, Sakura's voice filtered in shortly afterwards. _They must be here to meet Sasuke,_ Gaara thought. He looked at the moody Uchiha who sat closest to the door. Sasuke stood and slung his bag over his shoulder and Gaara hung back purposefully, he felt too out of place to follow Sasuke out of the room even if it was the natural thing to do.

"We should get the candy at the corner store instead of the theater this time," Sakura said sadly as she looked inside of her nearly empty wallet.

"Well then let's go before all the good seats are gone," Sasuke said as he hitched his bag up higher. Both he and Sakura moved down the hall before Sasuke came to a stop and looked back at Naruto, still standing in the doorway. "Naruto, what's the hold up?" Gaara's arm was inside of his bag, wanting to appear as if he were looking for something at the bottom, but he stilled when Naruto spoke.

"Go on without me, I've already got plans," he said casually. Gaara could have sworn he was trying to emulate Sasuke's apathetic tone from the other day. Naruto looked in the classroom and smiled. "You ready?"

Gaara pulled his hand from his bag, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Sorry, I'm coming." Both Sasuke and Sakura eyed Gaara curiously as he exited the classroom. As they put the pieces together, Sasuke's frowned deepened and Sakura seemed alive with a new energy.

"Oh," she said slyly. "Well then I guess it's just you and me, Sasuke." The latter looked less than pleased. He grunted and then turned away, quietly resigning himself to the sudden change in plans. Sakura hurried to catch up with him, waving goodbye to Naruto as she went. When they rounded the corner, Naruto burst into laughter.

"He's gonna kill me but it was worth it just to see the stupid look on his face," Naruto took a deep breath and then straightened up. "I'm starving though, how about you?"

"I could eat," Gaara replied simply.

Naruto led the way and listed the entire menu from memory to Gaara, complete with his own critiques of each item and his own personal recommendations. After he'd finished and they neared the ramen shop, a thought occurred to Gaara. "Your friends, they won't be upset with you, will they?" He inquired softly. He wanted to encroach as little as possible on Naruto's friendships and the last thing he wanted was them to use his presence as a reason to punish Naruto.

"Oh, those guys? Nah, they'll be fine. Besides, you're my friend too." He said it so flippantly Gaara almost overlooked it, but when it processed his heart jumped a few inches in his chest. He spoke like Gaara was in the same league as those he'd known much longer. _Does that mean he's my friend too?_ Gaara wondered to himself. Before he had an opportunity to overthink the matter, they came upon the shop where Naruto held the awnings up for Gaara to pass under. The shop itself was quaint and not suitable for large amounts of people. Aside from the short bench at the counter, the shop had six tables somewhat crowding one another. "Looks like the bench is full," Naruto mused. He pointed to a table to the left of them, "how about that one?"

When they sat, Naruto waved at a woman restocking things by the counter. She came over and brightly greeted them. "Hey, Naruto! It's been awhile since I've seen you, and you've brought a friend! Welcome to Ichiraku's" she gave a slight bow to Gaara. "Well what can I get you guys?"

"A bowl of Miso Chashu Pork ramen please," Naruto said immediately. The woman looked at Gaara expectantly.

"Oh, uh, I'll have the same. Thank you," he said as he inclined his head forward.

"Thanks Ayame," Naruto said as she took off with their order. Naruto seemed to have friends wherever he went, Gaara observed. He wondered if he could ever have the energy to be the same. Doubtful, he felt tired just thinking about it. Naruto's energy reserves were unlike anyone else's.

When their food arrived they ate and talked about life in Suna versus life in Konoha, Naruto insistent on hearing all about Gaara's favorite things in both places. "I've never left the village actually," he'd said. "One day I'll get out and see something new."

"You could always come to visit when I return home," Gaara replied instinctively. As the words left his mouth his face grew warm, but he didn't regret saying it. At the least, Naruto seemed happy to hear it. When they finished their meal and Ayame came with the bill, Gaara held his hand out to stop Naruto as he reached into his back pocket. "Please," he said. "Let me pay for it."

"What? Are you sure?"

Gaara smiled, far broader than any smile he'd had so far. "Completely," he said. Naruto thanked him several times over. When they stepped back out into the road, the sun was hovering over the horizon. They'd been in there longer than Gaara had anticipated, not that he minded though.

"You up for heading to the movie theater? Sasuke and Sakura should be finishing up right about now." He jutted his thumb in the opposite direction of Gaara's apartment.

"Actually, I think I'll head back home, if you don't mind." Gaara had eaten far more than he was used to in one sitting and the weight of it in his stomach was making him tired. "Will I see you tomorrow morning?"

Naruto nodded, "on time and everything!"

"Alright, well goodnight then Naruto." Gaara said as he turned away from Naruto.

"Night, Gaara," Naruto replied as he did the same.

And with that they parted ways.

The currents in the air carried the warmth of day and beckoned with it the budding season. He lifted a delicate hand to sweep the hair from his face as it was gently tugged forward in the breeze. He had a lot to think about and yet, his mind remained remarkably empty. All he could see was Naruto, standing there in the light of the setting sun. So complex in all his simplicity, Gaara wasn't sure where to start breaking it all down.

That evening, he took a long, hot bath and mulled over the events of the last two days. With his face half submerged in the steaming water he strung together each conversation exchanged between Naruto and himself. He thought about Naruto's answers and how his own differed in tone and reaction. He tried hard to find the underlying similarities between the two that made speaking so easy, but as much as he searched he found nothing of significance. After his bath he dressed himself and sat on his bed, leafing through a number of books and working through the assigned homework. For the first time since he could remember, his mind remained too distracted to really accomplish anything. A frustrated sigh left his mouth and he sat back against the headboard. He looked over to the doors that led to the balcony and wondered if the night air would help clear his mind. It was worth a try anyway.

Despite it being near 12:30 at night, like usual, Gaara felt no inclination to sleep. He swept the balcony doors open and stepped into the cool night air. He could see fairly far into the village from his vantage point and while most of it remained dark, there stood a number of places with a light still burning. Gaara leaned forward on the railing, one arm supporting his jaw and the other draped across the bar, as he collected himself. Quiet, empty nights like this had always helped ground him. Back in Suna, even when he was a child, he'd spend his sleepless nights exploring his village or stargazing. No one was awake to be bothered by him, in those moments he felt as ordinary as someone like himself could. They meant a great deal to him, even now.

The sound of a sliding glass door across the street pulled his attention back to the present. He tilted his head to get a better look as Naruto stepped out onto his own balcony, stretched, and then assumed the same position Gaara was holding. He watched him carefully, though it was difficult to fully make him out at the distance they stood, Naruto looked almost forlorn. It was an expression he'd yet to see cross Naruto's features and they elicited a strong pang of sympathy in him. He'd seen that same expression across his own face plenty of times before. Was this the invisible string that kept them connected?

Naruto swept his gaze from one side of the village to the other, briefly passing Gaara by as if he hadn't noticed the redhead watching him. But as if he sensed another's presence, Naruto dropped his eyes from the skyline to the buildings before him and they slipped almost naturally over to where Gaara stood. For a moment they only looked at each other impassively. Then Naruto leaned back and that look of melancholy washed away, replaced now with a warm smile that invited Gaara in. He waved his hand towards his body, saying with such a simple gesture, _come here._

Despite the brisk autumn air that nipped at his skin, Gaara felt quite warm.


	4. iv

A/N: Thank you for reading, the end (-:

* * *

iv.

Gaara shrugged on a thin jacket before leaving his apartment and crossing the street to the old building where Naruto lived. He didn't think twice about what he was doing as he climbed the stairs to the second floor or when he approached Naruto, leaning against the threshold of his open front door. "Still can't sleep, huh?" Naruto greeted with a warmth to his tone.

"About as much as you, apparently." Gaara replied with a smile. Naruto stepped aside and beckoned Gaara in. The redhead entered the room and looked around curiously. Unlike his own apartment, Naruto's contained many more touches of his own. The walls were decorated with an assortment of pictures and posters, trinkets sat upon undusted shelves along with various books that looked as if they'd hardly been touched. He had a pile of dirty laundry in the corner of his room and his bed against the wall was rumpled with mismatched pillowcases. Naruto closed the door behind him and gave a nervous laugh as he watched Gaara take it all in.

"Sorry about the mess, I don't usually have people over." Gaara turned to look over his shoulder and shook his head.

"No, it's fine. I don't mind at all." In fact, he kind of liked it. It was so unlike Gaara's own approach to comfort and if his own apartment had looked this way he'd probably feel uncomfortable. But this was different somehow, this _felt_ like Naruto, unapologetically present and unchanged. Naruto shyly slunk towards the kitchen, with his hand on the back of his neck he shrugged towards the side room.

"Would you like some tea? I was just boiling a pot."

"Sure," Gaara said, and followed Naruto into the small kitchen.

"All I've got is chamomile, do you mind?" Gaara shook his head and watched as Naruto prepared the herbal drink. "I was hoping this would help put me to sleep, I'm not much of a tea drinker but Sakura told me this might help."

"At the least, you might find yourself more relaxed," Gaara added on. "Are you sure I won't be keeping you awake?" Naruto snapped his head upwards and shook it.

"No!" He withdrew a bit and a slight flush colored his skin. "Err, I mean, I'm not really tired at all, you know. I'm glad you were awake too." He returned to focusing on the tea, looking a little embarrassed at his immediate answer. Gaara didn't say anything but he observed with interest as Naruto poured the water in the two cups. His hands were lightly shaking. Remembering the look Naruto had worn before he'd seen Gaara; the redhead frowned a little and turned his attention to Naruto's face. He looked incredibly tired now that he was getting a closer look. Naruto put the kettle back on the stovetop and then carefully handed the cup to Gaara. "I'm sorry, I put too much water in it."

"It's fine," Gaara reassured. The cup of tea quickly warmed his hands and that alone made him feel soothed.

Naruto's apartment was a small studio space, the main room comfortably filled with a twin bed, a short futon, and a dresser on which a compact television sat upon. The television was playing something but the volume was so low it acted merely as background sound. They sat on the futon with their backs each up against an arm so that they could see each other. Naruto blew gently at his cup of tea, his eyes out of focus as he watched the ripples move. Gaara sensed that something was wrong but he wasn't entirely sure how to approach it. Was this something he was supposed to ask about? Would Naruto feel uncomfortable or interpret Gaara's concern as prying? He'd never done anything like this before, but he wanted to. Gaara cleared his throat before speaking.

"Forgive me if I'm out of line for asking," he began and Naruto looked up with his brows knit together. "Is there something bothering you?" Naruto looked a little surprised as he processed the question but then relaxed and looked at the ceiling.

"That obvious, huh?"

"Not entirely," Gaara admitted a little sheepishly. "There was something in your expression when I saw you from my balcony, please correct me if I'm wrong, I don't mean to assume." He tacked on thoughtfully. Naruto's gaze settled back on Gaara and he studied him for a moment before looking back down, somewhat disheartened.

"What is it that you thought you saw?" He asked gently.

Gaara considered his next words carefully. "You seemed…half-empty." This description felt right and Naruto stilled, urging Gaara to continue. "It's almost as if while most of you is present, there's another part of you that's elsewhere, and you're not sure where it's at or when it left." These were all things he felt on those nights he found himself feeling detached from the rest of the world. It wasn't always rooted in loneliness, some nights he just felt incomplete in one way or another. Naruto was now staring at him, his mouth parted slightly.

"Yeah, that's pretty spot on actually." Naruto said. He sat up and leaned in closer to Gaara, his eyes intense. "You could tell all of that from just one look?"

"I speak from my own experiences," Gaara said gently. "I know that expression well; I've seen it on myself quite a number of times."

This seemed to bring Naruto to a stop as he considered Gaara's words. He leaned back into the arm of the futon and looked into his cup of chamomile tea. Finally he spoke. "It's been a while since I've felt this way," he admitted in a moment of unashamed vulnerability. "Not since I was a kid. Back then I felt it almost all the time. I thought that if I tried hard enough to make friends and be accepted by others, it would go away. And I mean, it did, for a while. But recently I've been feeling that same emptiness, and now I'm constantly unsure of myself and I wonder if my friends really like me for me." He looked into Gaara's expression almost desperately. Gaara felt his body go slack and a look of deep sympathy crossed his boyish features.

"I know what you mean," Gaara admitted honestly. There was nothing held back in his words, he meant it all. "I wish I could tell you how to make it stop for good, but I still don't know the answer to that myself. When I met you, there was something in you that I identified with." Gaara broke eye contact and looked off timidly. "You were so different from me that I couldn't understand what drew me to you, but I think I understand now. You have the same feelings I do..." A sudden touch startled him and he looked down to see Naruto's hand gently resting on his. It was such a simple gesture but the heat radiating off of Naruto's touch seemed to fill him up. It eased his nerves and a new emotion overcame him, something sweet and kind. Naruto looked at him firmly, determined even.

"I thought so too," he said and then he grinned. "Maybe all this time the thing we've been missing was each other!" Naruto laughed as Gaara blushed at his words and the blonde pulled back and took a deep breath. "But I mean it, when I'm around you I don't feel that way. And just knowing that there's still so much more to learn about you, it gives me a lot of hope."

"Me too," Gaara said in hushed tones. "I'm happy I met you."

They spent a while longer talking about their shared experiences, about Naruto's earliest memories being of the orphanage he'd grown up in and Gaara having been blamed by his family for his mother's death. They spoke about their reactions to these things, Gaara's antisocial behavior and Naruto's tendency to stir trouble for attention and ultimately the shift they'd experienced when the decided they wanted something more than all of that. It was a cathartic experience for the both of them and Gaara felt a kinship that he'd never thought possible. All of his defenses had lowered and there he was, so open and vulnerable that he'd allowed himself to fall asleep on Naruto's shoulder at some point in the night.

Gaara felt stiff as he slowly awakened, squinting at the morning light that drifted in through the windows. Besides him Naruto softly mumbled in his sleep, his head thrown back and resting on the back of the futon. By their feet sat two nearly full cups of chamomile tea.

Carefully, Gaara pulled himself upright. He rubbed at his eyes and then looked around the room for a clock. On the other side of the room on Naruto's nightstand was a fluorescent clock. It read 8:50 AM, they'd nearly missed their first class of the day. He looked over at Naruto and then down at himself. Even if he wanted to leave for class now he was so unkempt that by the time he'd gotten ready he'd probably miss his second class too. With a sigh he leaned back against the futon. He turned his head and watched the blonde as he slept, he also didn't want to wake Naruto just yet but it was unavoidable if they were going to ever get to school, but…a few more minutes couldn't hurt.

Naruto woke with a start and blearily looked around. "Where am I?" He muttered as he sat upright. His hand flew to his neck, it was aching. Gaara stepped out of the kitchen having washed the tea cups from the night before.

"We fell asleep there last night," he said. Naruto squinted at the clock and then jumped up, startled.

"It's almost ten!"

"I only just woke up as well," Gaara said nonchalantly as he leaned against the doorway. "Besides, there's no point going to class if you're too tired to learn, your body must have needed it." Naruto took a deep breath and then relaxed, looking relieved Gaara wasn't upset they'd slept so long. "If you're lost in your coursework, I can help you. I've taken the equivalent to most of these classes my last year at university."

"Oh man, that'd help a lot. Two days in and I've already got no idea what they're talking about." Naruto admitted sheepishly. Gaara smiled, a real one.

"I'm going to shower and get ready, if we leave in the next twenty minutes we might make it in time for our third class."

"Right," Naruto said with a grin. "I don't even need twenty minutes. Just you wait, I'll be the one waiting on you this time!"

"We'll see about that," Gaara replied coolly. He walked towards the door and turned before opening it, "see you in ten then." And with a smirk, opened the door and walked out. He could hear Naruto rushing to the shower as he left. Gaara didn't need much time to get ready, he was never one to bother with styling his hair and choosing an outfit was a basic task thanks to his minimalist wardrobe. When he finished, he grabbed his bag off the back of his door and locked up his apartment when he left. He stopped for a moment at the top of his stairs when he saw Naruto standing at the corner, looking up at him with that cheeky smile of his. Gaara felt a swell of affection and didn't resist the smile spread across his face.

It seemed unpredictable wasn't always a bad thing to be.


End file.
